The Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development received the Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for its 2013 Community Profile iBook in the new media category for communities with populations of 200,000 to 500,000.

The honor was presented at an awards ceremony Oct. 6 to 9 in in Philadelphia.

“These awards are very meaningful to us because it’s an international competition,” said Warren D. Harris, director of Virginia Beach Economic Development. “This is our second year to receive the Excellence Award, and we are honored that other economic development organizations now look to us as innovators in our field. We believe these tools and marketing strategies help us compete on a global level to bring business and capital investment to Virginia Beach.”

IEDC Chair Paul Krutko said, “The Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development as being one of the leading organizations in the industry for innovation, creativity and successful strategies. These awards are meant to honor the organizations and individuals who are dedicated to making a positive change in their communities. This organization uses creative solutions and inventive ideas, and offers other regions a wonderful example to learn and benefit from. The award represents an acknowledgment and appreciation for Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development’s dedication to continuous growth within itself, as well as improving the industry overall.”

The 2013 Virginia Beach Community Profile iBook is a mobile-friendly comprehensive presentation with key facts, demographics and statistics on the City of Virginia Beach, and represents a significant structural innovation in how the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development markets itself. By incorporating videos and other interactive features, the iBook presents information in a highly intuitive new medium that is easily shared and updated. It is also part of the city’s branding strategy that uses new technologies. The flexibility of the iBook format allows the economic development team to be more efficient and effective in preparing and making presentations.

Presenters can easily move from chapter to chapter within one dynamic document, or, using tablet devices, switch between different digital documents based on the audience’s interests.

The Department of Economic Development also received a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for its 2011-2012 Annual Report. The report highlights the successes of the department in bringing jobs and capital investment to the city.

The International Economic Development Council is a nonprofit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials and the year’s most influential leaders. For more information, visit www.iedconline.org

The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international business and industry that results in the creation of new capital investment and jobs that increase the per capita income in the community. The City of Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia with a population of 437,000, and it is the 39th largest city in the United States. The City has been recognized as the best run city in America by 24/7 Wall St. in 2012. The Department of Economic Development also received re-accreditation in 2012 through the International Economic Development Council, one of only 29 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. Virginia Beach has also been recognized as the Top Five Overall Mid-sized American Cities of the Future, Top 10 for Economic Potential and Top Five for Infrastructure by fDi Magazine. CNNMoney.com ranked Virginia Beach as the Easiest City to Start a Business as well as being the 2nd Friendliest to Small Business. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.